


Barbed Wire And Roses

by CobaltStargazer



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Spoilers, Developing Relationship, F/M, Mentions of PTSD, Rescue, Restraints, jail break
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-23
Updated: 2016-10-23
Packaged: 2018-08-24 03:55:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8356096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CobaltStargazer/pseuds/CobaltStargazer
Summary: What happened after the prison break, or at least part of it.





	

In the end, once they were free, Clint was the one who removed Wanda's shock collar and the harness that pinned her hands to her sides.

He'd had to carry her out in his arms, pick her up and walk her out of the prison and into the boat Rogers had brought to collect them. He hadn't even known where they were, much less that anyone other than Stark, who had come and gone by then, would be able to find them. Wanda had refused to move, unable or unwilling to walk under her own power, so without asking permission he'd picked her up and carried her. She'd stiffened at first, then put her head on his shoulder, but her eyes were big and watchful. They'd sedated her before putting the restraints on her, so he could understand the vigilance. It had started to rain when they were halfway to shore, and all of them were cold and wet by the time they reached land.

It had been Sam's idea to split up, that not staying together might make them more difficult to find. And really, Barnes was one person Clint was glad to be shut of. It was an uncomfortable reminder of the time _he'd_ been mind-fucked into becoming a killer, attacking even his friends. He doubted it was doing much good for Wanda's state of mind either. Not that she'd said as much, or even commented on the subject. But what went unsaid was usually the most powerful statement.

"I'm gonna take these things off now. I hope. I'm gonna need you to be still, okay?"

She nodded silently, watching his hands. She'd stopped talking almost entirely once she'd woken up with the collar on; she'd been so disoriented at first that she'd tried to use her abilities, and the pain from the device around her neck had put her out for another hour. The harness had been added when she'd regained consciousness, and she'd fallen into a sullen, obstinate silence that was only now beginning to lift. Clint had 'acquired' a car somehow, and they'd found a room at a Motel 6 that was off of the highway. He'd found some tools in the trunk of the car he'd acquired, and he fumbled around in the kit until he found a metal file. She was the only one who'd been collared, and while he'd retrieved his bow and arrows, the bonds represented something more than just the curtailing of her powers. He'd had to cut her out of the harness, using a utility knife from the tool box until the blade snapped, then resorting to the Ka-Bar he'd found under the driver's seat. He'd watched in silence while she rubbed her wrists, which were chafed and red from her initial struggles, then checked for cuts.

Clint crouched down in front of her, and he was grateful for his years of experience with electronics. The collar was state of the art, but he'd seen similar things. He eased the file under the triggering mechanism, using his other hand to tip Wanda's chin up and out of the way. If he only succeeded in hurting her further, he'd hate himself. Her could hear her breathing through her nose, felt her swallow. The light shone into his left eye, green instead of red. Green meant safe, red meant zap.

"You came for me. Why?"

"No talking. Not yet."

She closed her mouth, watching the ceiling while he slipped the file further beneath the trigger. Truthfully, she could have withstood the pain, but the fact that Clint still wanted to help her was a puzzle she had yet to solve. Rogers was an easier case; he seemed to have a code that forbade him to turn his back on others, or else why would he have come to the prison to free them? Wanda tried to look down without moving her head, looked at Clint's thick brown hair, remembered tangling her fingers into it. She swallowed again, held her breath.

 _Click_.

He'd been tugging carefully, fiddling with the thin strip of metal while keeping an eye on the collar's light, and when the contraption opened he overbalanced and tipped backwards, landing on his backside with a muted 'oof!' She made a chuffing sound, an amused noise, rubbed at her suddenly bare throat. He smiled crookedly at her, tossed the file back into the yellow box. Pulling himself into a standing position, he slapped his pockets, then pulled out a battered wallet. Steve had given him some cash, enough to get by. Thank God for his second skill set. 

"Will we stay here?"

"For a few days. Until some of the heat dies down, at least. For now, it's better that we lay low and catch our breath."

The room had two double beds, and Wanda looked at the identical flowered bedspreads critically before sitting down on the one closest to the window. Despite the situation, this seemed a little like an adventure, and Clint seemed capable of taking care of himself, _and_ of her should she require it. She was still wearing the blue coverall they'd given her, and she looked over her shoulder in the direction of the bathroom.

"You want a shower or would you rather eat?" Clint hooked his thumb towards the door that led to the parking lot. "There's a McDonald's a few blocks down, I can get us some cheeseburgers."

Wanda made a noncommittal noise, looking at the silent television. They'd been fed three times a day, but a cheeseburger, something Barton had been the one to really teach her an appreciation for, sounded like heaven. Still...

"You didn't answer my question." She was rubbing her wrists again, looking down at the worn carpeting. She'd wondered if Vision was right, if people would continue to be afraid of her if she left the compound, but Clint had been also been right. She couldn't make amends for her mistakes by sitting on the sidelines, and she couldn't honor her brother''s sacrifice by staying out of the fight. That Pietro hadn't lived to see the world he'd helped to save still haunted her, but he probably would have said exactly what Barton had said; "If you want to make amends, get off your ass."

"Why did you come for me?"

The easy thing would have been to tell her that he was still repaying the debt he owed, that being alive because her brother had moved fast enough to push him out of the way was something he had yet to make right. Clint looked down at the top of Wanda's head, and when she met his gaze, her expression was equal parts shy and knowing. He smiled, moved to crouch in front of her again. Right that minute was not the time for soul-searching, but he could give her the part of the truth she needed. He gave the collar a glance, made a mental note to throw it into the dumpster later. Unless Wanda said she'd rather smash it to pieces. 

"Because you're important to me," he said gruffly, and to hell with the age difference and what could go wrong. She'd helped him just as much as he'd helped her, up to and including reminding him not to pull his punches, even when he was going up against Nat. He wondered if he'd have to pay for that the next time he and Natasha saw one another. Probably. 

Wanda reached for Clint's calloused hand, interlocked their fingers. His bravery impressed her, but it was more than that. He was the first one to encourage her to live without fear, to practically insist on it. Had someone else come to the compound to free her from the unofficial house arrest, she might not have gone with them. She leaned in close and kissed him on the cheek, and then her lips brushed the corner of his mouth. 

Clint turned his head just enough to make it a real kiss, and although they'd done some fumbling around in the dark, though he''d made her come more than once, this was why she mattered. Because she could put herself out there to take or leave. He coaxed her mouth open, flicked his tongue against hers and received an answering stroke.

"Why me?"

Her mouth fought the smile, fought it and almost won. "Because you were the first one to anticipate me. No one ever saw me coming before." Her expression nearly sobered, and she managed a fair imitation of his voice when she said, 'Already tried the mind-control thing. Not a fan'."

Clint rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, touched her forehead where he'd planted the mind-scrambling arrow. First with his fingers, then with his lips. "Sorry."

Wanda shook her head, negating the apology if not the sentiment behind it. "The time for regrets is over. You said it yourself, we have to go forward now."

He kissed her again, pulled back before it could get too heated. "You shower if you want. I'll get some food and come back." Clint got to his feet, his knees having begun to protest the crouch. "Don't use up all the hot water."

Wanda locked the door after he left, watched the stolen car pull out of the parking lot and into the road. On the run again, this time with someone else. But there was less fear this time. Less fear and _much_ less anger. And maybe a little bit of love.


End file.
